Top-frame fob



J. VETTER.

' TOP FRAME FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- 30. I918.

Patented July 15, 1919.

INVENTOR MTW JOSEPH VETTER, or TOLEDO,

OHIO.

TOP-FRAME FQR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 15, 1919.

Application filed December 30, 1918' Serial No. 268,870.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH VETTER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Toledo, in the county of Lucas, State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Top-Frame for Automobiles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the 1 art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to frames for automobile tops of the so-called one-man foldable type, and has for its object the provision of a simple, strong and durable top of this character which is composed of a minimum number of parts and is capable of being easily and quickly operated to place 1t in folded or set-up positions.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, and while, in its broader aspect, it is capable of embodiment in numerous forms, a preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a top embodying the invention. Fig. '2 is a similar, enlarged view thereof, partly folded. Fig. 3 is a similar enlarged view thereof, completely folded, with the deck or covering removed, and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail of the rear end of one of the front bow legs.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the rear main supporting bow for the covering or deck 2 of a top of an automobile or the like, the legs of said bow being pivoted at their lower ends for forward and rearward swinging movements to the re spective sides of the vehicle body or other support, as well understood in the art. lVhen the top is set up the legs of the rear bow 1 stand in rearwardly inclined position as indicated. The rear intermediate bow 3 of the top frame is supported by the legs of the rear bow 1, being pivotally connected at the lower end of its legs with the upper or forward sides of the respective legs of the bow 1 a short distance above their lower ends, as at a point at thereon, the bow 3 standing substantially upright when the frame is in its set-up position.

A link 5 is pivoted at one end to the front side of each leg of the bow 3, near its top, substantially at 6 for vertical swinging movements relative thereto, and its forward end, in the present instance, is slightly upturned and pivoted at 7 to the angled or upturned end portion 8 of the respective leg of the front bow 9, so that the links 5 and legs of the front bow 9 form a toggle connection between the rear intermediate bow 3 and the cross-bar at the forward or looped end of the front bow, said toggle connection breaking downward from straightened position upon a folding of the top frame, as indicated in Fig. 2.

The front, intermediate bow 10 of the frame has its legs relatively shorter than the legs of the other frame bows and when the frame is in setup position the how 10 extends forward and upward from the links 5. being pivoted thereto at the outer ends of its legs at 11. The pivots 11 for the bow 10 are spaced rearwardly from the pivots 7 of the front bow, and in the present instance are disposed in advance of the link centers.

The front intermediate bow 10 is braced relative to the links 5 and front bow 9 when in set-up position by reason of the angled end 8 of each leg of the how 9 eX- tending upward beyond its pivot 7 and being provided at its free end with a side lug 12, which is adapted to spring into the opening or recess 13 provided in the respective leg of the bow 10 intermediate its ends. This interengaging of the legs of the bows 9 and 10 also serves to lock and retain said bows in extended or set-up relation to the how 3.

It is evident that a person in lowering or folding the top is required to first withdraw the legs 12 from the engaging recess 13 of the bow 10, the leg ends of the front bow 9, in the present instance, being sprung inwardly for such purpose, and the connected ends of the links 5 and bow 9 then swing downward to effect a folding of the bows 10 and 9, one in advance of the other and in close substantial parallel relation to the bow 3. The bows 3, 10 and 9 are then swung rearwardly in substantially parallel relation to the rear bow 1, which in turn is permitted to swing downward to reclining position. The members of the top frame are retained in this folded position by springing the catch lugs 12 at the ends of the front bow legs into engagement with registering openings or recesses let in the lower end portions of the respective legs of the bow 3, as shown in Fig. 3.

I wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specific construction, arrangement or form of the parts, as 1t is capable of numerous modifications without departing from the spirit of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and-desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A top frame of the class described having a rearwardly inclined rear bow, a rear intermediate bow pivoted for forward and rearward swinging movements relative to said rear bow, links pivotally projecting forward from said intermediate how, a front intermediate bow and a front bow pivotally projecting forward from said links, one in advance of the other and having parts which yieldingly releasably interengage transversely of the top to retain said front and rear intermediate bows and said front bow in set-up relation, said front bow and rear intermediate bow having parts which interengage to retain said bows in folded relation.

2. In a top frame of the class described, an upright bow pivotally supported for forward and rearward swinging movement, links pivotally projecting forward from said bow near its top, a front bow having its legs pivoted near their free ends to the front ends of said links for relative toggle action, the pivoted ends of said front bow legs being angled upward and extended beyond their pivots, and an intermediate bow having its legs pivoted to respective of said links intermediate their ends and extending forward therefrom when in set-up position, said extensions of said front bow legs and the respective legs of said intermediate bow being adapted to have yielding releasable stud and socket engagement transversely of the top to retain the different bows and links in relative set-up relation.

3. A top frame of the class described having a rearwardly inclined rear bow, an upstanding rear intermediate bow pivoted for forward and rearward swinging movements relative to said rear bow and provided with sockets at the inner ends of its legs, a link pivoted to and projecting forward from each side of said intermediate bow adjacent to its top for vertical swinging movements relative thereto, a front intermediate bow pivoted to said links to the rear of their for ward ends and having transversely disposed sockets in each leg and a front bow pivoted adjacent to the rear ends of its legs to the forward ends of said links, the rear ends the legs of said front bow being angled ii ward from said links when the frame is in JOSEPH VETTER."

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0. 

